Caprock Canyons State Park Superintendent Donald Beard watches bison roam near the Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight House. The bison were moved from the state park in an effort to bring direct descendants of Charles Goodnight's herd back to the property.

The buffalo roam once again in Goodnight. Descendants of Texas cattleman Charles Goodnight’s original American bison herd returned to Palo Duro Canyon this weekend.

Cecil Miskin, 65, is a 20-year-veteran of raising American bison. After 30 years as a lawyer, the Detroit native and his wife, began raising American bison in Burleson. Miskin also owns the Buffalo Gold Premium Fibers retail store on the property. He is the man responsible for bringing these American bison home.

“We will show that we can expose people to an iconic animal in its natural setting,” he said. “The whole idea is to educate people. There’s a tremendous amount of lessons to be learned on the pasture.”

The 10 bison — six cows and four calves — are on loan to the Armstrong County Museum from the Texas State Bison Herd at Caprock Canyons State Park. They will be kept at the Goodnight Ranch.

Donald Beard, 45, is the park superintendent at Caprock Canyons State Park. He is in charge of the park, and he manages the Texas State Bison Herd.

“There aren’t many people in the world that have as good a job as I do. I get to work in a beautiful park and with historic bison. It’s awe-inspiring,” he said. “The heard is vitally important. This is the last of the American southern plains bison.”

According to Miskin, the Union Pacific Railroad of the Goodnights’ day split the population of American bison into the northern plains and the southern plains herds. The southern bison are gentically different than the northern herd, and they were being wiped out faster than the northern bison, he said.

In the 1800s, hunters mostly were interested in the bulls for their hides and tongues. Orphans often were left to starve. In 1878, at the request of his wife, Mary Ann, Goodnight started his bison herd with five to seven of these orphaned animals, Beard said.

Miskin credited Goodnight with the salvation of the southern plains bison.

“There were a few different ranchers that started their own bison herds,” he said. “But the only one to raise a herd from the southern bison was Charles Goodnight.”

These bison, according to Beard and Miskin, are genetically different than the northern bison.

“They have unique genetic markers that are just in this herd. That makes them the last pure Texas Herd,” said Beard. “What a better place to have these animals than at the Goodnight Ranch?”

“Look at how long they’ve been around. Look at all they’ve endured. Look at what they give us today,” Miskin said. “They thrived up here and they can thrive up here again.”

This bison transfer comes at the tail end of a complete restoration of the Charles Goodnight ranch house. The restoration, which began in 2005, was funded by local, state and private donations.